He convened a meeting with a ''small and diverse set of thinkers'' on Monday to get the process started.
In a media statement yesterday, Mr Boult urged residents to ''take control of the future'' and think about their hopes and aspirations for the next 30 years.
The next step was to bring together a ''broad and highly representative forum of people from across the district and beyond'' to discuss potential objectives.
''I envisage this work will cover many issues, including where and how we live, how we move around the district, what will be the economic drivers and, importantly, whether there is a finite number of visitors we can host in the district without detracting from the amenity and environmental values we all treasure.''
There were many international case studies to draw on as to how to avoid the ''unbridled ruination of premier destinations''.
As well as Mr Boult, council chief executive Mike Theelen and councillor John MacDonald, the group consisted of Queenstown businessman Tony Balfour, who led Monday's meeting, Cardrona Alpine Resort general manager Bridget Legnavsky, Wanaka architect Ann Salmond, Sherwood hotel co-owner Sam Chapman, Glenorchy-based archaeologist and writer Dr Leslie van Gelder, Queenstown businessman Michael Sly, Wanaka farmer Mandy Bell and financial adviser and author Martin Hawes.
Those invited to participate were selected based on diversity in age, gender and where they lived, Mr Boult said.
They heard the views of ''iwi, an older resident, a student, a nurse, a working parent and several ethnic minority voices''.
The announcement comes a fortnight after Queenstown Airport began public consultation on a proposal to significantly expand its noise boundaries and almost double the aircraft movements allowed by its current boundaries by 2045.
Former councillor and Catalyst Trust co-chairwoman Cath Gilmour said although it was easy to agree with the mayor's ''fine words'', the community needed a commitment from him that a vision for the district would be settled before the airport's expansion plans were approved.
''A council vote to expand the airport noise boundaries will have irrevocable impacts, such as noise, congestion, more expensive housing and loss of development rights. And so far, no information or analysis on these and other issues has been publicly released.''
But Mr Boult said the two issues were ''not even vaguely connected''.
If Ms Gilmour was suggesting there was a finite number of visitors the district could cope with, ''I don't think we're anywhere near that at the present time''.
''But I do look at places like Venice and Barcelona, and I don't want this district to go anywhere near that.''
Council communications and engagement manager Naell Crosby-Roe said the group would hold another meeting, with some additional members, next month.
That would be followed a couple of months later by a broader forum of people from across the community.
This week's meeting and next month's follow-up meeting were workshops, so minutes would not be made public, but their ''key messages'' would be shared with the community.
